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man oh man things have happened!  Good things!  I had a wild time at the ole Sonshine music festival.  I hadn't been there since '97, and it truly changed my life.  For real.  It the first time I ever hung out with non-Lutheran Christians, and it really made me look at my faith in a different light.  It was good times.
This year was a little different.  I went as a volunteer for a local Christian night club.  We sold Rockstar Energy Drink at their booth.  But since we worked, we got in for free... super!  Anyway, I'm not really in the mood to recap the week, but man, it was fantastic.  I got to hang backstage with some awesome musicians and made some new connections in the music world.  (Among said connections is the band Everyday Sunday... GREAT guys, awesome music... check 'em out!)
Every time I spend time with people in the music industry, however, it makes me kinda bum out over my job.  I've said over and over again how blessed I am to do what I do- and I know that and still believe that... but MAN it would be so great to work in the biz, at least for a while.  Today I told the family that I'm closest to here at church that I feel as if my run at youth ministry might be over soon(ish) and I'm finding it hard to find joy in what I do lately.   They just said, "wow." kind of nonchalantly and moved on to the next topic.   I don't know what I expected, but it seemed as if they knew... that's not good- the people you serve shouldn't know you're discontented...
I think the thing that bums me out the most- and the thing that I really wasn't expecting is dealing with the replacement.  As kids (and families) moved on past the years of youth ministry my main focus was making sure the ministry survived the transition- like making sure we have new high school kids to volunteer with the jr high ministry, that kind of thing... well the thing that I wasn't prepared for and the thing that is weighing heavily on my currently is the personal side of being replaced.  For 5 years I've been a part of many kids lives.  I've grown really close to a lot of cool kids.  I'm among the first 10 people to find out Billy got his driver's license or I get the call when Frank breaks up with Betty, you know what I mean?  I have a purpose... I am a big slice of kids life-pies.  And it's awesome and I'm so humbled to be a slice!!! But as they grow and as they meet more people and make good, solid Christian (hopefully) relationships my piece gets smaller and smaller and my counsel, input, or awareness of the situation is no longer needed... and its tough realization, man!
I honestly never thought about that side of things... I guess I figured I'd always have a slice of the life-pie and be a top-5 phone call when the engagement happens, kid is born, and nursing home has to be chosen... ha!  I realize that's silly, but I since I never thought about it I wasn't prepared, so it kind of all hit me at once as I was talking to one of our staff members- I've sang with her and a kid over the past couple of years, but the kid is in college now, so we have a new kid singing with us.  I told the staff member (i should just use names to make this easier) that the kid has been replaced thinking she would be aghast, but instead she spoke wisdom into my life she said, "Well... I think she's ready to be replaced."  Its true, she is and she should be, but I wasn't ready... bumskis.
Alas, it's all a variation of a theme.  the whole long line of leavers thing... Realizing how temporal everything- even relationships- is makes you wonder why even start?  Which makes me want to live south of the Mason Dixie... blagh.

ON THE VERY VERY VERY Bright side... TOMORROW is Drama Camp!  Holy Moly!   Get the Espresso shots ready, cuz it's gonna be one heck of a week!